CYCLING NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2565, 13 May 1903, Page 51

CYCLING NOTES.

BY DEMON.

__Th^ Government exchequer must be richer to a fair sum over fines inflicted upon unwary cyclic w.ho have rihanecd the- vigilance of the police and indulged in the luxury of a spin upon the footpath. One sees now aud again that a fine of so murfi and costs 'has teen inflicted upon, trespassing cycling, and it would seem that the police jiro be lit (ipo.i putting a stop to the abuse. So, c-yolists, take warning. Tlio Dunedin Cycling Club have been requested- to consider the advisability of joining in with the Duuedin Amateur Ath-le-tio Olu'b, with tho idea of running aai art uni:on and carnival somo time next year, tho proceeds of tho same to be devoted to the building of club rooms for the combined club?. The question came- up for consideration at a committee meeting of the D.C.C. on Monday evening, when it was decided to refer t.he "matter to a speoip..! general meeting of the club, to be called for Thursday, May 21. The committee of the club are, I understand, practically of one mind regarding tho proposal, but the idea is to get the couicnt of the members as a whole, and to crfflto a personal interest in tho movement, which is ono that should commend itself to ail. I hope that, as a result of the meeting now called, the members will at onco seitttie down to wtork and do what they individually can to make the carnival a sueTho championship meeting has resulted in a credit of £5 12s 9d. The Dunediii Cycling Club aro to be congratulated upon coming out of the meeting with, a credit, and my only regret is that the club is not a gainer to a larger extent. Secretary A. J. Sullivan worked up the meeting in a, way that was worthy of better success, and his csmmittee backed him up in a commenda'blc manner. I understand that tho D.C.C. are well satisfied with the total result oi tho meeting, which, to my mind, reflects in every way credit upon all those who were cssooiatad wi'bli it, officials and competitors alike making oommon cause, and doing their best in their respective spheres of labour. Tho membership of the Dunedin Cycling Club is on the increase, several candidates far membership being nominated at last Monday's committee meeting. Nominations for the forthcoming road race in Victoria close en Thursday, July 23. Handicaps will be published on August 3, aaid aeocptancss close on Wednesday, August 12. The race starts at 6 a.m. on Saturday, August 22. N. C. Hopper, the winner* of the Sydney Thousand, has left Australia. He made a brilliant win in the Five-mile International .Scratch Race at the Eight Hours demonstration mooting in Melbourne, and 1 litated that he may return next season. — — The Federal Council will meet in Adelaide on May 28. The council will discuss the allotment of Australian and intern:\tiona! championships; ?lection of officers for the ensuing year ; a uniform charge for lacing licenses ; arrangements in regard to championship medals ; a scheme submitted at last year's conference for the mportation of foreign champions to race in Australia, to be further considered, and a proposal to publish an Australasian pamphlet for distribution in the Old and New World?, .showing the number of races held in Australia and the amount of prize money offered in each State ; and the drawing up of a circuit of dates for race meetings throughout Australia. The Warrnambbol to Melbourne Road Race, fixed for Saturday, August "22, differ.3 this year from, last year's race in two respects. In tho first place the time limit has br-en reduced from 13 ;o 12 hour?, and in tho second place 'he competitors miifit ride the *amo machine all through tho contest. Any changing of a. machine will disqualify. It is anticipated that the latt<;>condition will have the effect of causing competitors to usr a stronger class of mount than has heretofore figured in this notable contest. A. Browne's victory in the Eight Hours Anniversary Wht>el Race, run at Melbourne, is another instance that neither age, weight, nor height are deterrent to a man in cycle racing. Browne is an old hand nt the pport, is 46 year? of age, and a grandfather, yet fiaiinlies with as lively. a jump as a man half hi« years. This win will be a t-insolation to him for the disappointment of los-ipg the Druids' Handicap, in which tho judges placed him second, but which ho is confident he won. It ia exceptional that a man fo well up in vcars strikes such phenomenal form as has Browne. The Dunlop Company provide refreshments gratis to all (-ompetitors in the Warrnambcol-Molbourne Road Raeo at Camperdown (43 miles-) and Geclong (119 miles). A movement is on foot to render assistance io R. Walno. the popular Queensland cyclist, who is laid up iii a private hospital in Adelaide, suffering from a fractured kr.ee. The injury was caused by an accident at Adelaide, and it may be some time before Walna is thoroughly bettor. Certificates of mprit are to be presented to all competitors in the Warrnani-bool-Melbourne Road Race who cover the course (165 miles) in 12 hours and under. Don Walker, the Victorian crack, has been racing for 13 year.?. .The Australasian racing season 19021903 w now practically -.lcsed. Financially 1 the saasan lrai huc-n a good one in Victoria,

New South "Wales, and South Australia, and without a doubt this satisfactory state of affairs is attributable to the visit of Major Taylor. Upon reviewing the season's racing, the rider standing out from the ruck n;wt is undoubtedly Don Walker, who has carried off 35 firsts, 14 recondis, and 9 thirds, aggregating some £608, a w&uderfully fine performance. „ This amount tops the season's individual winners. N. 0. Hopper came second, with £771, mostly reuniting from his win in the Sydney Thousand, whilst -Majoi- -Taylor canie third with 19 wins and 2 seconds', worth some £550. Tom Lihtori, the crack Welsh rider, who has ridden with great success during the past 10 years in England, America, and on the Continent, and who met with a very serious accident last season, which threatened to disable him for He, was expected to make Ills reap pea ran co cci the track behind pace in Franco at the latter end of March. ■ Great things are expected from J. "Kelson, a young American paes follower now in Paris. Nelson, who has been dubbed the "flying schoolboy," is a brother of the unfortunate Johnny Nelson who was killed :Y.i a bad smash up some time back at the Madison Square Gardens, New York. Young Nelson is yet only in his teens, but already holds all the American competition records from one to 20 miles. At the opening meeting of the Paris outdoor season on March. 14 Contenent, the , hour and mil© world's record holder, defeated Hall, the English lider, by two laps in the final of a 10 kilometres paced race. The victor was paoad by a 14-, horse-power I motor, while Hall had the assistance of a i 12-horse-powcr motor. On March 14, F. W. Chasa, the motor i driver, went after records on the Canning Town track. He reeled off his first mile in lmin 27 2-sse<", and improved each succeeding mile ; at six miles (7min 44sec) he was 9seo inside record, and at sevcti miles (Bmin 59 3-ssec) ho was l&ec inside Fournier's time. From this point Chase established new figures up to 10 miles, inclusive, ond, completing tlio ridu in splendid trim in 12min 56 4-ssec, he erased no less than 21seo from his own previous world's records, made at tha Crystal Palace on September 24 last year. , On the assumption that the race for the Gordon Bennett Cup will be run on Thursday, July 2, the suggested programme ia as follows: — July 1: Exhibition of the Competing Care at Earlsfoit Rink, Dublin. 2nd : Tho Gordon Benneit Race. 3rd : Gymkhana at the Plioenix Park, Dublin. 4th : Speed trials in the Phoenix Park, Dublin. 6th : Tour to Newcastle and Belfast. 7th: Four-mile Time Test at Newcastle; Hill-climbing trial for the Henry Edmunds trophy. Bth : Return to Dublin. 9th : Start for Cork (156 miles). 10th: Arrival at Cork; Eliminating: Race for Motor-boats at Queenstown. in the morning; Speed or Hill-climbine; Trial at Cork in the afternoon. 11th: Motor-boat Race for the Alfred Harmswortli Cup at Qtieenst-own. 13th: Start of tour through ""the south. 14th : Arrival at Kilarney. July 15: Hill-climb-ing Trial on the Killorglin-Tralee Road for the County of Kerry Cup, and termination of the official tour. F. A. Murphy essayed to -break the world's record for 10 miles, flyimer -start, behind tandem motors. When ho had accomplished eight miles the back tyre of the motor blew out, Murphy narrowly escaping a collision. The attempt was then abandoned. The time taken to accomplish the eight miles was 15min 3 3-& sec. The world's record for 10 miles is 13snin 6scc; the American, 14min 25sec ; and the Australian) 14min ?.2 ?.-seer. A Shag Valley resident, who had inadvertently left his bicycle in front of the Palmer3ton Post Office on Monday evening, was agreeably surprised, on returning to claim it a couple of daj's later, to find the machine in exactly the same position in which he had left it. An accident which startled those who raw it occurred at Timaru the other day when a irailor belonging: to one of the boats in port essayed to ride a bicycle which ho paw standing unguarded on the whart. The result was that on setting the machine in motion he could not stop it, and both machine and rider went headlong over tho end of the wharf into the sea. Fortunately c-'iistanes was at hand, and both were fished out little tho worse for thoir immersion. J. Win-t«rburn. aged 23, wa<= srntenc-d to 12 months' imprisonment at Tnvercargill on Friday, for stealing a bicycle from a hotel. He has been previously convicted of theft. There is to be preat rivalry between the ludy racers of Ivigland this season for I lie honour of holding tho various records. At present Miss Maggie Foster holds the title of lady champion of England, and she inlands to mnke an effort to improve upon her mn.nv record-* this .reason. — — Writing of the Gordon-Bennett motor ra/je (to be decided in Ireland), the Westminster Gazette cays: — "And what a -race it will'be! Never will there have been Mich ,i con-tr-t — pos.sib'.y there may never bn again. England, France, Germany, and America will be represented by their best, and probably at least ten ears will start, each of them capable of GO miles an hour — some will even attewpi; mere than this. To the mn lid fact urrrs of the winning ear it will moan fame and fortune. Any of them would doubtless gladly put down £25,000 to win, for tlie- makers who enn come out victorious througrh such a contest must, as evrry intending buyer of n car will recoenisc\ be at tho top of their businc-ss. If an Enpjlish car win*, the stimulus to the industry in Great. Britain will be incalculable." So far Franco ha« had ir.oiorincr, mort and trade, all her own way. Sho hns made it nay. and lost year a sum of £12,960,000 was disbursed in wages. The other countries now desire to have a finger in the. pie, and are makinar th«» most strenuous efforts to attract and regain a portion of the trade. Franco, however, thanks to liberal legislation, lias ypt a tremendous lead. Thwe is much antagonism unfortunately between thwe who own motor-pars and those who do not, each faction considering that it ha.<* far more right to the Aitrhwav than Ins the other. It need hardly be pointed out that thin feeling has been engendered by tho selfish few, who Lave driven vehicles at an exces-sivo speed without any regard to tha safety of others. It is a moat difficult matter to define the speed to which motor cars should be limited, as so much depends upon local circumstances. Some months ago the ppcr^tary of the Automobile Club suggested that the difficulty might b? met by adopting a plan which would tend to spoure the safety of both motorists and pedestrians. He proposed that the club should with the concurrence of tho local authorities, plaoo on a certain highroad, by way of experiment, diamond-shaped i

boards which should serve as "control cignals for drivers. On reaching sueb. a sign the driver of a motor car wcidd slow down and continue to go at a moderate speed until the end of the control was reached, which would be indicated by another board of a different colour. In this way towns and villages would bo protected from the dangers of excessive speeds. Aq offer of £100 has been made by a member of the club towards the cost of the experiment, and part of the Portsmouth' road haa been suggested as the best highway upoa which to try the system. The. Scottish Automobile Club is promoting a non-stop run from Glasgow to London on May 13 and 14. An official stop will be made at Leeds, 'but for all other., halts, save for traffic or other causes beyond! the control of the driver, marks will be deducted. Earl in supporting the • •aiea- . sure authorising the holding of the GordonBennett Cup Race in Ireland, remarked that it was a new sensation to have a bill on which all parties in both Houses were agreed. It has been decided to start the Paris Madrid race from Versailles. The route will run tihrough Rambouillet, Chartres, Chateaudun, Tours, Ohatellorault, Poitiers,. Angouleme, to the first halt at Bordeaux; thence through Bayonne and San Sehatiau. to Victoria; while the final stage is via-. Burgos and. VaKadolid to Madrid. The> Kaiser, who is keenly interested! in automobile*, especially as he is convinced that they will play a. great rola in the- warof fehe future, witnessed, a. grand parade ofmotors in connection with a- motor-car exhibition just opened in Berlin. In an amazingly short space of time 300 splendid niaebines from all parts of Germany filled thtf Lustgarten under the Kaiser's eye. Each, motor carried a magnesium torch, many were most gaily decorated with natural flowers, and all those driven by electricity were brilliantly set oiit with hundreds of tiny lamps. At a given signal perfect silence prevailed, followed almost inunediatelv by a characteristic? "Hooh !" for his Majesty. At a spcond signal every car started puffing and clattering, and in a few minutes «;li had disappeared in the same marvellous order a« they had assembled. A highway accident which happened at Eccles md resulted in an action before the Monr'-'e.'ter County Court affords nn example of the curious rel-uotanc9 of bi- : ryolists to dismount even, on the most pressing emergencies (fays the Field). The road was cut u,p for a distance of about; a furlong, and a narrow strip left, sufficient only for one carriage to pass. A 'bicyclist and a land;iu driven at a rapid pace entered thi9 narrow strip simultaneously. There was no room to pass, and the bicyclist, in tho opinion of the judge, tried to do co by' turning asido across seme loos© 9tones on to the footpath. In doing so he fell, and was rim over by the- landau, tho drivei of; which was. notwithstanding, ordered by the ladies in it to drive on. This action oa their part was rightly condemned by the judge, who, however, enme to the conclusion th*t. tho accident was due to the negligence, of the bicyoliat in trying to gtt across tha' stones on to th^ footpath. Had he dismounted in time and held his ground there*; would probably have been no accident, for it is unlikely that the driver would ha.vo deliberately run him down. The driver no doubt calculated on 'bluffing tho bicyolisti, off the road, and was no doubt acting improperly. Had the bicycli-st dismounted intinv\ and then bean run down, he must infallibly have won his case-, for the carriage should have pulled up so that the passage oouild have been made without risk It was a case khst by the contributory negligence of the plaintiff. The number of visitors who patronised the recent autoir.'ouile eSow at chn Crystal' Palace. England, was inwards of J22.00G. while from a similar exposition in the United States a sum of £12.000 was realised. The co.ye.red van has long been a nuisance in thick thoroughfares, and many who use the streets either in private convey- • ances not «w protected, or on bicycles or motor oars, would welcome a ehanfre such as that instituted in London. There the County Council have ndop^ed a by'aw by which, after the end of the present year, no vehicle will bo sillowcd on th» road unless it is fo constructed that the driver shall hay» both in front und on each side an uninterrupted view. George. Sutherland is certainly champion of N>w Zealand. At the F.aster meeting at ChrUtchurch he won twice, and ran Ftcond one.'. But there i«> a- considerable margin between New Zealand and Austra'ian form (*?.ys Sydnoy Referee). Be- , c .iiivj he wa- beating Bill Martial (who has <'<-.ne no crood sineo he eamfl back from>"; America.) Sutherland imagined tba.£ he was the best man south of the line, and he came . -to Sydney to the big carnival expecting--, to do welt. In fact, it was common ta>!k • among the racing men here tihat the ro?yfaced New Zen-lander felt hurt because tho : hiMidi capper gave him a start from Taylor! Knowing that Sutherland has a high opinion . of his powers, one can believe it. But, meeting with non-suecef% Sutherland, like somn other athletes from the sa.mo quarter. • hns gone home with a sore head, and allowed his tongue run loose. According to an interview report ho blames incompetent judging for robbing him of his chance in the big racs. Certainly th"r& were seme m'stakes made* by the officials, but even admitting one, for argun:«nt sake, that does not account for Sutherland's poor showing generally. He had lots of chances to prove hia speed, but failed. His offer to race anyone, bar Taylor. aX Cliristohuroh will hardly be taken seriously, but there are several Australians who might easily put in a few winter months (if the cold is not x bar) by going over if,' win Sutherland's money. If he puts up a deposit. I have no doubt he will soon be accommodated. At the Dunedin Police Court on Saturday P^ter Daly was charged with, on May 6, stealing a bicycle, valued at £20, th« property of Herbert Campbell. — Mr Hanlcai appeared for the accused, who pleaded "Not guilty." — The facts stated were to the effecfc that the complainant left tha bicycle outside his offioe in Crawford street for a short time, and found it gone on coming outside again. He saw the accused riding the machine along the itreet. "When accused 6aw he was being followed he got off the machine, left it, and bolted. Mr Campbell followed the lad, caught him, and handed him over to Detective Livingstone. — -Evidence waa given by the owner of the bicycle and by Detective Livingstone. — Mr Hanlon submitted that the case should be dismissed, as the lad had only taken the machine to have a ride, and was bringing it back, and, wheci arrested, he told the detective his reason for taking the bicycle. — Evidence for

the defence was given by Harry M'Carthy.— HHis Worship said he could not consider the ■'evidence adduced sufficient to show that the Sad took the bicycle with the actual view of appropriating it. He regretted the information had not been laid in such a manner that he could punish- the offender for what ■was. at the least, a mischievous and dangerous practice. The charge would be dismissed. A LETTER FROM C. W. ROUFFE. Tho following letter, addressee! to Mr J. R. Wilson, hon. secretary to the Otago Cycling Club, will be interesting to members of the Otago Cycling Club and many others who kr.ow the writer as a good fellow and a thorough sport. It will be recollected that Mr Rouffe left here as a member of one of the last contingents that went from New Zealand for active service in South Africa : — " LONDON, iLarch 20. " Dear Sir, — I duly received yonr letter dated February 4, also a racing license and membership card, for which I remain much indebted to you. I beg also to convey to your committee my warmest thanks for acquiescing to my request for the privilege of representing the Otago Cycling Club during the present season. Your letter cam-e a,s a relief to me, as I was perplexed as to what to do. "I am shifting to Mitcham Park, just a few miles from the Crystal Palace, and will start training next week, or as soon as the westher turns more propitious. Of course, I have kept 'myself in form since last November. I have engaged Trainer Cole, of the Crystal Palace, but shall not compete on Good Friday or Easter Monday, the date been too early on us, but will enter for anything that comes along after that. If there's a particle of truth in hearsay, there will be crops of amateurs from all over the Continent thiß season. 'It will be a gTeat pleasure for me to let you know now and again of my doings. I may here say that Secretary Keunaway, of the N.Z. Agency, is doing all he can to best advantage. My colours are medium shade of blue, stripes of black, and white sash ; on the breast the O.C.C. letters, with 'Dunedin in full letters of plain dark blue. If the Home people don't get to know more about the O.C.C. it won't be through fault of mine. I also stick to the strict uniform of the club, having still the badge. The campaigning of South Africa has hardened me up. The senseless way I used to get through the training has made me wiser. Fancy the plan I carried through in Dunedin : one hour 'Sandow' at half-past 6 a.m. ; at •woTk till half-past 5 ; then track ; back homa •for half-hour 'Sandow,' or out running with •the barriers, or at the Dunedin Gymnasium till half-past 11, or at volunteer drill, lor out for a good hard spin ; on Sundays on the lead No wonder when the day of competition arri-. id I was 'pooked.' I have yet to win my first race. I want to do so with honour at Ocas', as I never made out a first place, except in the harriers. "I intend to go racing in bonnie Scotland. I spent many happy days on Donside. I went light through Scotland, visiting successively Glasgow, then j3allock, Ben Lomond on the (Lake, Ardlin, next through Loch Ness to Inverness, Peterh-ead, arriving in the Granite City just in Jme to witness the opening of the Gordon Highlanders' Institute by Sir G. "White last August. I had the luck to witness a ■Scotch fair; that quite recalls to me ilafeking 3)ay in Dunedin. '"The Forth- Bridge quite captivated my attention for hours; and I left it with deep regret. The magnitude of this construction cannot be grasped from a photo. To be met on the side footpath about halfway down with trains coming on you from both ends is quite sensational at such an altitude. There are no beggars to bQ seen in Scotland, things looking very busy an Aberdeen. I have always been a great admirer of Scotchmen, and a visitor cannot better appreciate them than at Home. The v/inter ihas not been so serious as was expected, but lain, mist, and fog are on the daily weather iboard. What about motor cars, motor cycles, end cycling in general. It. gives one pleasure to Bee hundreds and hundreds of cycles and motors forming an. endless string through the great arteries leading to the country. The roads being very flat, the general Londoner looks to the wind for a direction. They have no CaverBham or Saddle Hill to negotiate, or a nor'wester to fight. I witnessed two motor aceiBents some three weeks back. A motor dashed rinto an omnibus, with no great damage, last Saturday, in one of the greatest thoroughfares — Charing Cross load. I-saw a motor car knocked down in the gutter, evidently the car skidding; ■both tyres went off alternately a couple of ininutes after accident. The 'chauffeur,' only c, youth (a gilded one), very likely got into great trouble about it. "Labour market is absorbing the unemployed, and the regiments that used to march the street have disappeared. lam just coming back from the Guildhall Library, and witnessed Mr Chamberlain's official reception at the Guildhall by the Lord Mayor, masses of people monopolising the street to greet Britain's great statesman. "By the same mail I have received also from Lieut. Allan, D.C.C., permission to represent Ihe corps at the military tournament at the ■Agricultural Hall next May. "I intend to race oniy in uupaced events, unless Ido extremely well; then it may be different. As to which races better Buit me, I leave it entirely to Cole. In conclusion oi this letter I wish again to thank you, and to reiterate to the committee of tho O.C.C. that I will represent the club to their best interest and the sport in general of nay adopted country.— Believe me, "Yours faithfully, "CHAS. W. ROUFFE."